Parihaka Tim Finn, 1989

 

Parihaka Tim Finn, 1989 

 My friend, My friend, I hate to see you suffer, Events conspire to bring us to our knees, My friend, my friend, you’ve taken this the wrong way, Rise up, defend yourself, never give in, Look to the sky, the spirit of Te Whiti, The endless tide is murmuring his name. 

 I know Te Whiti will never be defeated, And even at the darkest hour, His presence will remain. I’ll sing for you a song of Parihaka. 

 Te Whiti he used the language of the spirit, Then stood accused, the madman and his dream, He saw the train go roaring through the tunnel, He heard the voice travel on the magic wire, But he loved the silence of the river, He watched the dog piss on the cannon’s wheel. 

 I know Te Whiti will never be defeated, And even at the darkest hour, His presence will remain. I’ll sing for you a song of Parihaka. 

 One day you’ll know the truth, They can’t pull out the roots, Come and take me home, To weep for my lost brother. They gather still, the clouds of Taranaki, His children’s children wearing the white plume, 

 So take me for the sins of these sad islands, The wave still breaks on the rock of Rouhotu. And when you taste the salt that’s on your pudding, And when you taste the sugar in your soup, Think of Te Whiti, he’ll never be defeated, Even at the darkest hour, His presence will remain, 

 I’ll sing for you a song of Parihaka, Come to Parihaka, Weep for my lost brother, The spirit of nonviolence, Has come to fill the silence, Come to Parihaka. 

 To understand the lyrics, you need to find meanings for the following words.. 

List them here: conspire - make secret plans jointly to commit an unlawful or harmful act. defend - resist an attack made on (someone or something); protect from harm or danger. 

spirit - the non-physical part of a person which is the seat of emotions and character; the soul. 

endless - having or seeming to have no end or limit. 

murmuring - a low or indistinct continuous sound. 

defeated - having been beaten in a battle or other contest. 

accused - a person or group of people who are charged with or on trial for a crime. 

plume - a long, soft feather or arrangement of feathers used by a bird for display or worn by a person for ornament. sins - an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law. 

nonviolence - the use of peaceful means, not force, to bring about political or social change. 

1. Who is Tim Finn? Brian Timothy Finn was a NZ singer 

2. Who was Te Whiti? Māori spiritual leader 

3. Who do you think the ‘madman’ was? he spirit, Then stood accused, the madman 

4. Who heard ‘the voice travel on the magic wire’? the train go roaring through the tunnel, 

5. What do you think the ‘magic wire’ was? he loved the silence 

6. What did Te Whiti love? That he will never be defeated 

7. What is the significance of ‘children’s children’ wearing the white plume? Because they are the kids of Parihaka 

 8. Which bird was the white plume said to come from originally?Albatross Monchousia 

9. Where are ‘the sad islands’? NZ 

10. How could you be reminded of Te Whiti’s presence? Parihaka 

11. What came to ‘fill the silence’? The spirit of nonviolence,